Peridot's Training
by Swordtheguy
Summary: Peridot is is now allied with the Crystal Gem. That means a lot of different things to different people. But to Peridot, it means a chance to better herself. A chance to make amends with those she's hurt. To grow closer to those she cares about. And prove that she's worth the second chance life as given her... Part 2 of The Continuing Adventures of Steven Universe series.
1. Gathering resources

This takes place between "Too Short to Ride" and "Beach City Drift"

* * *

R… e… s… o… u…

Peridot sat on the elongated chair ( _The couch_ , she reminded herself) in the loft of the barn, slowly tapping out her thoughts on the 'tablet' device that Steven had given her. She had been up there for most of the day, slowly tapping at the tablet's screen and wishing for a proper speech-to-text program.

 _Steven had mentioned something about 'apps'. Maybe there's a speech-to-text 'app'_ , Peridot thought to herself.

…t… o… i… n… c…

"What are you doing?"

Peridot jumped in her seat at the sound of the voice of her barn mate.

"Lazuli," Peridot greeted, trying to cover the tablet's screen while also trying not to look like she was hiding something. "To what do I owe this interaction to?" Peridot turned around as best she could Lazuli, who was standing behind the couch and also dismissing her water wings. No wonder she was able to get up here without Peridot hearing her.

Lazuli glanced down at the tablet before returning her gaze back to Peridot. "What resources are you gathering?" She raised an eyebrow. "And why?"

"Well, I'm, uh.., just organizing an… itinerary for my activities over the next several days," Peridot worked through. "I.. have a plan to increase my effectiveness to the Crystal Gems."

"Increase your effectiveness…" Lazuli said as she circled around in order to be in front of the couch. "Does this have to do with your new powers?"

"In a sense," Peridot said, still not sure what Lazuli's goal here was. "After discovering my, hehe…" She grinned proudly. "My magnetic personality." She paused, expecting for Lazuli to start laughing. However, her face remained impassable. Perhaps she did not understand. "My magnetic personality, Lazuli," Peridot said. "It's a 'play on words'. Steven tells me it's very funny."

"Did he come up with that for you?"

"Er, well yes…" Peridot confessed.

"Did he have to explain it to you?"

Peridot could feel her face warm as she spoke, "Yes, he… he did," she said quietly.

To her relief, Lazuli did not press further at Peridot's jape, instead asking, "So, what? Did your new powers motivate you to start going on more missions?"

"Kind of," Peridot said. "I've been thinking for the last several days. Right now, there are only three fully trained Crystal Gems," she explained. "Steven and Connie are learning, yes, but compared to the Gems, they still have a long way to go."

"So now you that you have magnetism powers, you think you'll just follow the others into battle?" Lazuli said, not bothering to hide the skepticism out of her voice.

"Well… Not right away," Peridot said. "But, I have a three prong plan to address my shortcomings and prepare me for further greatness."

Lazuli sighed as she sat down in front of the television. "Alright. Let's hear them."

Peridot glanced down at her tablet. "Step one: Find a new set of limb enhancers. Step two: Begin weapons training with Pearl. Step three: Talk to-" Peridot quickly cut herself off. "W-well, I haven't quite finalized the third step."

For a few seconds, Lazuli was silent, only resting a dull gaze on Peridot.

"So… you want to have a more active role in the Gem's missions?" Lazuli said finally.

"Yes," Peridot replied solemnly. "The Gems have been… friends to me. It is only fitting that I try and assist them in whatever way I'm capable of."

Lazuli was silent again for several moments before saying simply, "Why limb enhancers?"

"My gem is an era two peridot," she responded. "It's not capable of producing the energy needed to resist heavy injury to my holographic form while in battle."

"How do you know-… Does this have anything to do with why you were running backward and throwing yourself into the barn's wall all yesterday afternoon?" Lazuli asked.

Peridot looked down at the tablet in her lap. "If I ran into the barn frontwards, I might have damaged my gem…"

"Right… But limb enhancers won't help with wayward walls," Lazuli said.

"Ones, like I had, won't," Peridot replied. "But I'm not looking technical enhancers. I'm looking for battle enhancers."

"Battle enhancers? They make those?" Lazuli asked.

"Ah, of course," Peridot said. "When you left Homeworld, they hadn't begun the third era of quartz soldiers… Yes, to answer your question. In order assist modern quartzes, a new brand of limb enhancers, called battle enhancers, were developed. In addition to strengthing each limb, a full set can act as a power source, increasing the energy output of a gem by tenfold." Peridot's eyes grew alight as she thought about it. "With a full set, I could stand toe-to-toe with Amethyst in battle…"

"Except that she has more than five thousand years worth of battle experience," Lazuli snarkily responded.

Peridot could feel herself blushing again. "Yes, true… But that's what step two is for."

"Okay, next point. Where are you going to get any battle enhancers? The only Homeworld quartz to come to Earth lately didn't use them," Lazuli said.

"That is also correct," Peridot admitted as she slid off the couch. "However, I may have something to act a temporary measure until a modern quartz does show themselves."

Peridot stepped down the ladder leading back to the bottom of the barn. Lazuli slowly drifted down beside her, assisted by her water wings. The green Gem jogged over towards the tractor and grabbed a small box that had been stored behind it.

"What's in the box?" Lazuli asked, her gaze firmly planted on the container.

"My latest work," Peridot replied simply. She opened the box and pulled out a small device. It looked pretty rough-hewn, Peridot did have to admit. She had constructed its casing out of scrap metal she had found around Beach City. But the circuitry inside was top quality; most of it having been taken from the pyramid when she and Amethyst had finally dismantled it.

"Okay, I give up. What is it?" Lazuli asked.

"It's a 'Gem Energy Multiplier', of course," Peridot responded, proud of her invention.

"A 'Gem Energy Multiplier'… a GEM, in other words. Did you intend for that acronym?"

"Er, yes, of course!" Peridot lied. "It's all part of my genius design."

"Right," Lazuli responded flatly. "So how's it work?"

"Simple," Peridot responded. "You just place it over your gem, like so," she said as she carefully strapped the device to her gem using a simple elastic strap she had gotten from a discarded pair of pants. "Once done, you activate it by increasing the energy output of your gem. It'll detect the spike and start multiplying immediately."

"I see… Does it matter how much of an energy spike you give it?"

"It has to be a spike of at least thirty units of power. So summoning your weapon, or in your case, your wings would be enough to activate it." Peridot explained.

"Of course, you don't have a weapon," Lapis pointed out.

"A valid point," Peridot said. "But there are other ways to get that amount of an energy spike from your gem, though the most direct way is to… well, to be attacked."

"Attacked?" Lapis had a bemused look on her face.

"Yes. In case you are ambushed or something of that nature occurs," Peridot said. "That way it will activate automatically without any conscious effort on your part."

"Hmm…" Lapis pondered. "That's… actually pretty clever, Peridot."

Peridot felt somewhat unsure how to handle this praise. "Ah… Thank you, Lazuli," she said awkwardly.

There was a beat of silence between the two of them before Lazuli asked, "Can it increase your gems energy output by the same amount as a set of battle enhancers?"

"Not quiet, but it is close," Peridot said. "In fact, I'm about to start my official test for the GEM. Are you interested in assisting, Lazuli?"

"I… guess," Lazuli sounded somewhat unsure. "What do I have to do?"

"Observe mainly," Peridot said. "However, I could use your help in activating it."

"Okay," Lazuli said slowly. "What do I have to do?"

"Simple. Attack me."

"Attack you? Are you sure?" Lazuli seemed a bit more reluctant than Peridot had guessed she would have been.

"Of course. It'll be okay, It's for… science," Peridot tried to reassure.

"Well… okay. If you're sure…"

Before Peridot even had a chance to brace herself, she felt Lazuli's knee dig deeply into her stomach. The pain was fierce and immediate. It took all of Peridot's will power to not topple over, but then… As quickly as it had come, the pain began to recede until it was barely a buzz in the reaches of her form.

The machine had activated.

"It's on now," Peridot said, straightening herself. The increase in energy from her gem was… interesting, to say the least. Peridot had never felt strong, at least not physically. But now, she felt like she could take on a whole squad of rubies.

"Hey, Peridot," Lazuli began, drawing her out of thoughts of strength. "You said summoning my wings would be enough to activate the GEM, right?"

Peridot nodded.

"Would harnessing my hydrokinesis any other way also be enough to activate it?"

Peridot considered for a moment. "Probably," she said.

"Then in that case, couldn't you have just used your ferrokinesis to start the GEM?"

Peridot did her best to keep a calm and neutral face, but on the inside, she was kicking herself for being so stupid. Of course her magnetism powers would have been enough to activate the GEM. As soon as she was done with the testing, she needed to type a note about that on her tablet device.

"Well, regardless of how, the GEM is now active. If you'll follow me outside the barn…" Peridot said, as smoothly as she could manage. She walked out through the barn's exit, stopping as soon as she reached the barn's outside thresold. Lazuli following behind her. "The first test shall be a simple measure of my jump height," Peridot said as she gazed upwards at the top of the barn door. "Without the enhancer, I could only jump to about halfway up the barn door."

"Alright. Let's see the fruits of your labor," Lazuli said, folding her arms across her chest.

Peridot hesitated, just for a moment. If she jumped and there wasn't a noticeable increase, then all the work she had done, to both make herself better as well as to try and impress-…

"Well… Let's begin," Peridot said softly.

She readied herself, crouching down to prepare her jump. After just a second of delay, Peridot jumped upwards with all her might!… And was shocked when she saw the barn swiftly pass by her as she ascended upwards. She quickly looked down below her and saw both the ground and the barn quickly receding into the distance.

"Wahoo!" Peridot called out joyously. "It worked! My creation is a success!"

After a minute, Peridot felt herself slow; rest in the air for a second, and then begin her return to the Earth below.

Very, very quickly…!

The exuberance she felt mere seconds ago was now replaced with a cold knot of dread. She was going to hit the ground. Hard. Amethyst and the others could land safely from this height, but Peridot had never been this high up without something solid beneath her feet. She had no idea how to land safely, only that, when she did, she needed to minimize the damage the crash was sure to inflict. With the GEM, it was unlikely she would loose her projection, but her gem (both of them) were still in danger of being damaged in the soon-to-be crash. Without many options, Peridot covered both of her gems and her eyes with either of her hands and braced herself for impact…

…

…

…

 _Hmm… This collision is taking longer than I estimated it would_ , Peridot thought to herself.

Peridot slowly opened her eyes and saw that she was indeed still falling, she was just falling much slower than she had been previously. She began to look around her, trying to see what was causing this change.

"Quite squirming," Lazuli said, her voice coming from just above Peridot's head. It was at this point that she realized two arms were tightly wrapped around her waist.

"Lazuli…" Peridot said in awe. "You… you caught me…"

"That I did," Lazuli responded nonchalantly.

After about another minute of smooth flight, the two Gems returned to the ground, Lapis gently placing Peridot on her own feet.

Peridot reached up and removed the GEM from her gem. "I-… thank you, Lazuli. Without you, I might have-"

"Why did you do that?" Lazuli asked indignantly. "Why did you try and jump as high as you could? You should have had a smaller test jump."

"Er, well, yes you're correct, but I was-"

Lazuli, however, cut her off with a deep sigh. "Why are you doing this, Peridot? Really."

Peridot was silent.

"I mean, you've already been on missions with them. You even helped Steven and Connie when they couldn't diffuse, and then afterward when Connie was suffering from the after-effects," Lazuli said, exasperated. "You just endangered yourself, and for what, exactly? To go on more missions?"

"…"

Lazuli sighed as she turned away. "Right. I don't know what answer I expected."

"Because… I want to prove myself to them."

Lazuli quickly turned around, unsure if she had just heard correctly. "You want… to prove yourself?"

Peridot had her eyes trained on the ground as she spoke. "When I discovered my magnetism powers, I… I realized that there was more I could do, other than just stand behind the Crystal Gems and… examine any tech they threw my way." Her voice began to waver slightly as she continued, "But… I'm still just an era two peridot. Even with my new powers, my… options are limited. So, I need to improve myself. Maybe then I can… show that I'm more than just a peridot. I can prove myself to the Gems," she eyes flicked up towards Lazuli. "And… I can prove myself to you."

This time, it was Lazuli's turn to blush. "S-show me? What do you mean?"

"I know that… you still don't like me that much, Lazuli," Peridot said.

"That-… that's not true, Peridot."

"But, it's okay," Peridot continued, ignoring Lazuli's response. "After what… happened to you when you returned to Homeworld. And then your imprisonment and forced return to Earth… I wasn't directly responsible… but I was complicit in it."

"Peridot… I don't…" Lazuli trailed off, unable to finish her half-hearted defense.

"The kindness you've shown me already is only because Steven has spoken up for me. So, I want to prove that I'm worthy of what you've shown me already. And of more," she finished quietly. Peridot refocused her gaze at the ground, trying with all her might to hold back the rush of sadness that was sweeping over her.

 _I was a clod. I shouldn't have even tried this._

 _Even with my new power, I'm not cut out for this._

 _My gem isn't cut for it… I'm… just a peridot…_

Peridot had closed her eyes and was about to unleash the building tears when she suddenly felt two arms once again wrap around her. Peridot opened her eyes and saw that Lazuli had gotten on her knees and was tightly hugging Peridot close.

"I'm sorry, Peridot," she said simply. "I… I shouldn't have blown up at you like that. But.. you had me worried."

"You… You were worried about me?" Peridot stammered

"Yeah. I was."

They stayed like this for several minutes, before Lazuli finally broke away, releasing Peridot from her grasp and standing back up.

"I can't… I can't promise that everything will be perfect between us from now on, Peridot," Lazuli said. "But you've been putting a lot more effort into apologizing then I have in trying to understand."

Silence fell heavily around them. Neither of the Gems seemed sure what came next.

"Can I just… make a request?" Lazuli asked, breaking through the quiet.

"Of course, Lazuli," Peridot responded.

"Don't call me Lazuli anymore," she responded. "That's what all the Gems in the Noble's Court used to call me. I hated it." She softly smiled. "Just call me Lapis, okay?"

"Oh, alright Laz-, I mean Lapis," Peridot responded. "I… I can do that."

"Thanks," Lapis responded lightly. "And like I said, I'm going to try and give you a bit more… credit. For what it's worth, you don't seem like the same Gem I met when I was being transported back to Earth."

"Thank you, Lapis…" Peridot trailed off. "Does…" She gave a subtle smile. "Does this mean you'll finally watch some of Camp Pining Hearts with me?"

Lapis rolled her eyes. "Urg, you and that show. What do you see in it?"

"It's an intense a personal story of those torn apart by forces beyond their control! It has drama, action, and lots of… characters," Peridot enthusiastically said.

"I see…" Lapis said, a sarcastic smile on her lips. "It's got everything."

"It does! Here, why don't we watch some now? I could use a break from my work and I can show you the 'Over the Camp Walls' story arc. It features some of the best writing in the show," Peridot exclaimed. "And that's saying something since it comes right in the middle of season five…"

"Geez, Peridot. I don't…" she paused for a moment, before her expression softened, just a touch. "Sure. Why not? I don't have anything else to do now."

"Great! Come on! Let's go!" Peridot grabbed Lapis's hand and led her towards the barn. But as they reached the barn's doors, Peridot stopped.

"What's wrong?" Lapis asked.

"I can't do this now," Peridot said, releasing Lapis's hand. "I need to finish my plan."

"Step two is sword fighting with Pearl, right? You can't learn that in a single day."

"I know, but I can start. And then, step three is to fuse with-" Peridot cut herself off quickly.

However, Lapis still heard what she said. "Fuse with who, exactly?" she asked slyly.

"That… is private. If you don't mind, Lapis." Peridot squeaked out.

"Of course. I can't force you to tell me," Lapis gave a genuine chuckle. "Well… when you're done with your mission, I'll be waiting here. We can watch some of your show then."

"I… Yes, of course." Peridot began to walk towards the warp pad in the distance. She looked over her shoulder. "Thank you, Lapis."

Lapis gave a small wave as Peridot as she stepped onto the warp pad activated it. It engulfed her in a stream of light, whisking her away to her next step.

The next step to prove herself.

To the Crystal Gems.

To Lapis.

To Steven.

And to herself.

* * *

 **A/N: Hope you enjoy this new fic and, as always, critical feedback is welcomed.**


	2. Discussing How to Operate at Peak Level

"Parry! Parry! Thrust!"

"Parry! Parry! Thrust!"

"Parry! Parry- Steven!"

Peridot walked through the archway leading into the stands of the sky arena. She looked down into the arena proper and saw two familiar figures standing across from each other, both wielding swords. And if that wasn't enough evidence to tell her what they were doing, Peridot noted that Connie was dressed in the purple warrior garb that Pearl had gotten her for when she trained and went on missions. Her hair was also bound tightly together, so as to prevent it from becoming a liability when in battle.

 _Braided, I believe she'd called it,_ Peridot reminded herself. Peridot had seen Connie braid her hair once when Peridot had come to the temple looking for Amethyst. _Seems like it'd be easier to simply acquire shorter hair._

As Peridot began walking down the ramp out of the stands, she could hear the two of them talking back and forth.

"Aww… Come on, Connie. I'm terrible with a sword. Can't I just use my shield?"

"Steven, this is important. Even if you never use it, knowing some swordplay can still be useful."

"If you say so, Connie. Let's start over, then."

Peridot had left the stands and began to approach the two dueling friends. They began carefully clashing their swords against each other, Steven moving to the tempo Connie was setting, all while she skillfully blocked his somewhat clumsy strikes.

"Parry! Parry! Thrust!"

"Parry! Parry! Thrust!"

Once she was almost over to them, Peridot felt somewhat unsure as what to do next. She wanted their attention, but at the same time, she didn't know if it was… polite to interrupt a duel.

"Parry! Parry! Thrust!"

"Parry! Parry! Thru- Steven!"

"Hey, Peridot!" Steven greeted, bringing an end to his duel with Connie, as he lightly walked over to where the Gem was, Connie following after him.

"Ah, hello, Steven. I… did not mean to interrupt your training exercise," she said, casting a glance at Connie so as to try and see if she was upset. "Is Pearl not here? I was under the impression that she was the one who instructed both of you in combat training."

"Pearl isn't here right now," Steven answered. "Connie and I were waiting for her to show up and, when she finally did, all she told us was that Amethyst had fallen out of a warp stream while teleporting again and now she and Garnet needed to try to find her."

"Oh," Peridot said simply, a twinge of panic shooting through her. "Has this happened before?"

Steven shrugged. "I dunno. Sounds like something that has, though."

"Quiet," Peridot agreed. "Do you know when she's going to return?"

Connie shook her head. "Nope. She just told us to wait here so that, when she does, we can begin our session."

"I see… Well perhaps you two can answer a question for me," Peridot said. "Do you know if Pearl would be… willing to instruct me?

"You mean in swordplay?" Connie asked. Peridot nodded her her head. "Well, I don't know why she wouldn't," said Connie. "Though, why are you suddenly so interested in learning now?"

"It's part of my three prong plan," Peridot replied. "Step two is to learn how to fight with a sword so that I can better… contribute to the continued efforts of the Crystal Gems."

"But we don't need you to fight, Peridot," Steven said. "Pearl, Garnet, and Amethyst do well enough on their own."

"Yes, but you and Connie are receiving training. So surely that means that they believe soon they won't be enough to continue the protection of Earth," Peridot responded. She was doing her best to keep her nerves in check. When she was just listing out her plan, she felt fine. But now that she was about to actually start step two… She'd barely held a gem destabilizer rod. A sword would be… completely different. All this wasn't helped by the fact that, what had happened with step one was still gnawing at her nerves, despite coming through it all right in the end.

"Hmm… I… guess I hadn't thought of it like that before," Steven admitted. "But still. Haven't you said that your gem wasn't made for a lot of physical work?"

Peridot did her best to keep her face even as she began, "Why yes, I have said that, Steven. However, as of today, that is no longer a problem. For you see, I now have my GEM!" Her expression broke into a proud smile as she triumphantly pointed to her forehead.

"Your gem?" Connie asked. "You've always had that."

"No. no," Peridot chuckled smugly. "Not my gem. My GEM. It stands for 'Gem Multi-" Peridot stopped suddenly as she felt the smooth surface of her perfectly cut gem under her finger. "M-my GEM! Where-?!" Peridot covered her face with her hands in embarrassment. "I must have left it at the barn with Lapis…"

OooOOoo~ You called her Lapis~" Steven said in a sing-songy voice. "You're making friends!~"

His comments did nothing to ease Peridot's bashfulness. "Lapis and I… had a discussion earlier today, yes…" she said quietly. "But I forgot my new invention at the barn."

"Well, what does your 'GEM' do?" Connie asked.

"It is a device that can increase the energy output of a gem," Peridot said. "With a little help from Lapis, I successfully tested it and was pleased to see that it exceeded my expectations."

"So… it can make you stronger?" Connie asked. "How did you test it exactly?"

"By jumping," Peridot answered simply.

"Jumping…"

"Indeed. My jump height increased over 200%," Peridot boasted.

"Ooh…" Steven marveled. "Is that high?"

"It's… really high," Peridot responded.

 _Not to self: Verify how high GEM assisted jump is,_ Peridot quietly thought to herself.

"That's really cool, Peridot," Connie said. "How'd you make it?"

"It was simpler then I thought it would be," Peridot began, always pleased to talk about her genius. "While the casing is made up of scrap metal I foraged from various trash receptacles, the circuitry is all Gem tech."

"Where'd you get that from?" Steven asked.

"Mostly from the pyramid," Peridot replied. "After Amethyst and I dis-…" Peridot trailed off when she noticed the very uncomfortable look that had quickly spread across Connie's face. "Uh, Connie? Are you okay?"

The young girl gulped audibly before answering. "Y-yes. I'm fine, Peridot. Just…"

"You're starting to look a little pale Connie," Steven said. "Here, just a second…" Steven quickly jogged to a blue and white container of some kind that was placed on the first level of the stands. He removed the container's lid and pulled out a bottle filled with… water if Peridot had to guess.

"Here, drink something," Steven said, passing the bottled water over to his friend, who accepted it graciously.

"Is… Are you alright, Connie?" Peridot asked unassuredly.

She had drunk half of the water in the bottle before she answered, wiping her mouth dry with the back of her hand. "Yeah, Peridot. I'm fine. Just…" Her eyes quickly darted over to Steven, before returning back to Peridot. "Just got a little overheated. It's something that happens to humans."

Peridot, however, was unconvinced. "Are you sure?"

Connie smiled easily. "Yeah, I'm sure. You can ask Steven. I… sometimes overdo it." She gave a sideways look to him. "Right, Steven?"

Steven quickly responded, "Oh, yeah. Right."

"Hmm… Very well, then," Peridot said, still not convinced but knowing that she wasn't going to get another answer.

"So, Peridot," Connie said, not letting a moment of silence fall around them. "Can your GEM invention hold up in battle?"

"I'm not sure," Peridot admitted. "Jumping is the only way I've tested it thus far."

"Well, can I make a suggestion then?" Connie asked. The Gem nodded her head. "I'm not saying you couldn't benefit from a bit of weapon's training, but maybe you should try to use your unique talents to help the Gems."

Peridot could feel her spirits dropping as Connie spoke. "My… unique talents. Like examining unknown tech and…standing behind the Gems while they do the all the work…"

"Actually, I was thinking about your ferrokinesis," Connie corrected. "Metal isn't quite as a common as water, but it's still pretty common."

"Ooh, Yeah!" Steven exclaimed, his eyes lighting up with the ideas that were flooding through his mind. "You can be like the M-People!"

"The… M-People?" Peridot asked confusedly. "Is that some kind of sub-species of humans?"

Connie giggled. "Almost. It's a comic book Steven reads."

"Yeah! And it's super cool! The M-People are a group of superheroes who save the world on a daily basis!" Steven enthused. "And they're led by their leader, Doctor M, The Master of Magnetism!"

"I'm not quite sure I follow…" Peridot said, feeling very confused by what Steven was saying.

"What _I_ mean is, that you can harness your ferrokinesis while in battle," Connie began explaining. "Like, say, if Steven were facing off against two opponents, and you saw one of them trying to sneak up on him, you could use your powers to throw… I don't know, a dumpster at them."

"Hmm… I must admit, I hadn't thought of utilizing my new powers for martial might…" Peridot pondered. "Could it really work like that?"

"Sure!" Steven replied, clearly supportive of the idea. "Just, you know, talk to the others about it before start flinging stuff around during a fight."

"Of course. Thank you for the advice Steven, Connie," Peridot responded curtly. She glanced over her shoulder, towards the archway leading to the warp pad. There was still no one coming. "Since Pearl has still not arrived, perhaps I could… ask a favor?" she said, turning back to the pair.

They both nodded in unison.

"Right," Peridot said, feeling a single bead sweat fall down the back of her neck. This was supposed to wait until step three, but they were both here right now and they were otherwise unoccupied. And Peridot had always been told on Homeworld that getting things done ahead of schedule was always ideal. But then again, her overseers on Homeworld had never asked for anything quite like this…

Peridot gulped.

"I was… wondering if I… could…" She braced herself for the response she was going to get. "If I could talk to Stevonnie…!"

Peridot had clamped her eyes shut, afraid of the looks the two were sure to give and the answer that awaited her…

 _Talk to Stevonnie?! Are you crazy?!_

 _We can't just fuse on command!_

 _Yeah, it's a very special bond!_

 _How could you insult us like this, Peridot?!_

"Sure, you can talk to Stevonnie if you want, Peridot."

Peridot slowly opened one of her eyes and saw that the two of them were looking at her with their usual kind and easy-going expressions. Peridot began to slowly let her body relax.

"J-just like that?" she asked unsteadily.

Connie grinned. "Just like that."

"Yeah, Stevonnie's your friend, right Peridot? You can always talk to your friends," Steven said.

"Well, I'm… appreciative of this. I have some… very specific questions for them," Peridot said.

As Peridot was speaking, Steven began to reach into his pocket, only to be stopped by Connie.

"Wait, Steven. Why don't we try…" A playful smirk spread across her face. "You know…"

Steven seemed unsure as to what she was referring to at first, but after a moment his face lit up with understanding. "Oh! Yeah, that's a great idea, Connie!" He rubbed his chin in consideration as he continued, "Hm. Should I catch or should you?"

"Why…" Connie's face began to blush bright red. "Why don't you catch me?"

And, as if blushing was contagious, Steven's cheeks began to glow brightly. "Okay," he said gently. "When you're ready…"

Connie gave a stiff nod as she began to take several steps backward, Steven doing the same. Once Connie had reached the edge of the stands she stopped, as did Steven. Peridot also found herself stepping back as well. She wasn't sure what was about to happen, only that it felt like it need some space.

After several seconds of the two just standing across from each other, Connie broke into a sudden run, heading towards Steven. For his part, however, Steven merely widened his stance and seemed to ready himself for something. When Connie was only a few feet away, she leapt into the air. An impressive amount as well, if Peridot were any kind of judge. She could certainly leap higher than Peridot can, at least without the GEM.

This leap seemed to be what Steven had been waiting for, as he quickly raised his hands above his head and carefully followed Connie's trajectory with his eyes. As Connie's falling form drew closer and closer, Peridot noticed that wide, joyful smiles had grown across their faces. Finally, after what seemed to be several minutes, Connie landed in Steven's raised hands, held in such a away as to evoke the image of a bird flying through the sky. The two locked eyes, Connie above and Steven below, and began sharing wonderfully happy laughter. Then, to Peridot surprise, a glow began to appear on Steven's midsection, where his gem was located. The glow grew in size until in engulfed the laughing pair, only to then recede and reveal a single, still laughing, figure.

Peridot took a nervous step closer towards them. Their legs were widened and braced, in a manner similar to Steven's, but their arms were out to their side, just like Connie's had been. After a few seconds, their laughter began to taper off, even though their large smile did not. They stood up straight, lowered their arms, and turned towards Peridot.

"Oh, man," Stevonnie said as they began to walk over to the green Gem. "That was incredible. I mean, Steven and Connie have been thinking about quick ways they could fuse mid-fight, but that… that was a rush!" Stevonnie was brushing their hair back over their shoulder when something seemed to occur to them. They pulled their large, bushy hair back over their shoulder and examined it closely, only to scowl and then push it back over their shoulder, turning their attention towards the ground.

Their eyes scanned the all around them and, after a while, Peridot was going to ask them what they were doing when Stevonnie let out a sigh. "Ugh. Here it is," they said as they bent over and picked up what looked like to Peridot a length of red fabric that was capped off on one end by a bit of metal.

"Uh… What is… I don't know what…" Peridot stuttered, trying her best to get better control of her faculties.

"A hair tie," Stevonnie said, still looking at the broken thing in their hand. "Connie was using it to keep her hair braided. But, as usual, we got distracted and… well," they smirked, as if just a little bit proud of what they had done. "A tie can only hold so much hair before it snaps," they said with a light chuckle, as they ran their fingers through their hair. "But enough of that," they continued, pocketing the broken tie. "You said you had some… questions to ask?"

Peridot felt frozen in place, but she didn't really understand why. She had met Stevonnie before, not under the best circumstances granted, but the meeting had been… pleasant enough. Forced fusions and Connie almost expiring notwithstanding.

And maybe that had something to do with the unease that Peridot now felt, but whatever the reason, whenever she tried to force words out of her mouth, nothing happened.

Stevonnie must have noticed the distressed look on Peridot's face, because they tilted their head to the side and asked concernedly, "Are you okay, Peridot? Is something-" Their eyes widened with sudden realization. "Oh! You… Is this about the pyramid?" Peridot still felt like she couldn't respond, which seemed to only trouble the fusion further. "Our first meeting wasn't ideal…" Stevonnie said, awkwardly rubbing the back their neck. "So… I understand if this is a little… difficult." They sighed heavily. "Believe me, your not the only one who's still losing sleep over the pyramid… Or, you know. Gems don't really sleep, right?" They were silent for a moment, perhaps waiting for Peridot respond, but still, no words came out when she tried to speak. Once again, this just seemed to deepen the sense of trouble that already rested on them.

After another few moments, Stevonnie looked away. "I… I guess this wasn't such a great idea." They looked back towards Peridot. "But it's not your fault or anything, Peridot. It's just… weird circumstances," they said as they turned their back towards the Gem. "Here, I'll just diffuse and maybe Steven and Connie can answer-"

"No! Wait! Don't do that!"

Stevonnie turned back around, a mild look of surprise spread across their face. Peridot had finally found her voice. And not a moment too soon.

 _It's alright_ , Peridot thought firmly to herself. _Steven is my friend. Connie is my friend. Ergo, Stevonnie must also be my friend. Just ask your questions. And remember what the overseers always said. "Infomation is the most powerful tool, in both times of war and peace"._

"Don't diffuse yet, please," Peridot said, trying her best to keep a level gaze at the fusion. "I… have some inquiries, if you don't mind."

"We don't have to do this, Peridot," Stevonnie said. "I'm sure Steven and Connie can answer whatever questions you have."

"No! I mean…" Peridot took a moment to gather herself. This was perhaps the most important part of her plan. She couldn't skirt the details now. "My… problematic… speaking…abilities with you is… part of the topic I'd wish to discuss."

"I see…" Stevonnie said uncertainly. "Here, why don't we sit down?" They indicated to the stands behind Peridot. She didn't really see the point, but… perhaps it would make Stevonnie feel more at ease. The pair walked over to the stands and sat down on the bottom most row, right next to the blue and white container that Steven had fetched the bottled water for Connie.

"So… Peridot," Stevonnie said. "You seemed pretty… serious about wanting to talk to me. Is something up?"

"Plenty, but I have more pressing matters," Peridot said. "I… I have been constructing a plan. It's a plan that… I believe will allow me to maximize my abilities to benefit the Crystal Gems."

"Right. That's why you wanted to see if Pearl could teach you how to fight with a sword," Stevonnie nodded.

"Uh, how di-… Ah, of course. A fusion has the memories of both of their components," Peridot said, trying to quickly go over a mental checklist of all the facts she knew about fusions.

"That's right," Stevonnie nodded. "It can be a little disorienting sometimes, especially when I have memories that contradict each other. But you get used to it after a while."

"R-right… Um, Stevonnie?"

"Yes, Peridot?"

"The main reason… why I wanted to talk to you is… I… I'm nervous about fusion!"

It was now Stevonnie's turn to be unsure of what to say. "You're… nervous about fusion?" they asked. "What do you mean?"

Peridot did her best to look at ease as she spoke. "Well… before coming to Earth, I'd… never met a fusion. Or at least not a fusion like you."

"A fusion like… Oh. You mean a fusion between two different people, rather then between two of the same Gem," Stevonnie said.

Peridot nodded. "Yes. That's right."

"But you don't have this reaction around Garnet, do you?"

"Garnet is… intimidating for completely separate reasons from her fused status," Peridot said. "I've never met her fusion components. But I have met yours," Peridot finished slowly, not wanting to say something that would upset Stevonnie.

"I see…" Stevonnie said, nodding their head slowly. "I think I'm beginning to understand."

Peridot nodded. "It is… a little unnerving to talk to a fusion at all, let alone…" she paused briefly. "Let alone one that my… friends make…"

"Okay… But why? I mean, I don't look frightening, do I?" Stevonnie asked.

"N-No! Of course not!" Peridot quickly rushed out. "That's not it at all. This is… just all to do with my inexperience with interacting with fusions."

"Alright. Then what can I do to help you, Peridot?" Stevonnie asked sincerely.

"Well… I believe some of my unease stems from the fact that I don't… fully understand the process of fusion," Peridot explained. "Perhaps if… what's it like to… to fuse?"

"That…" Stevonnie chuckled heartily. "That's not an easy thing to explain. If you want to know about that, you'd be better off asking Garnet."

"Perhaps, but Garnet has a very… unique view of fusion," Peridot said. "I'd prefer to know what you have to say on the matter."

"Hmm…" Stevonnie replied. "Well… fusion is…" They looked away, towards the sky that stretched out around them. "Fusion is one of the greatest experiences in the universe." They looked down at their own feet, struggling to find the right words. "When Steven and Connie fuse, it's like… It's like they're making an agreement with each other. 'I'll be here for you. Don't worry'. It's… an amazing feeling."

Peridot said nothing

"And once they have fused… I feel incredible." They closed their eyes and leaned back in their seat. "I feel like… no matter what happens, no matter what I do… There's someone with me, helping me and… just being there with me." They reopened their eyes and looked back at Peridot. "Fusing means that you have someone you care about and… and that you're not alone."

"I… I see…" Peridot said meekly. "And… How do you decide who you should fuse with?"

Stevonnie smirked. "Steven and Connie didn't. At least, not a first. Their first two times fusing were completely by accident."

"They were? I wasn't aware fusion could happen by accident…" Peridot responded.

"Neither did they. But… they don't regret it." Stevonnie said. "It's all been worth it. Just to be… me."

Peridot was quiet again. Was fusion really so easy that it could happen by accident? Everything that she had heard about fusion was that it is a difficult and time-consuming process. But what Stevonnie was saying seemed to indicate otherwise…

"Who are you planning on trying to fuse with, Peridot?" Stevonnie asked.

A bolt of panic shot through Peridot. _H-how'd they know!? Is it that obvious? I-I can't let them tell-_

"Amethyst, right?"

Peridot glared at the fusion, her eyes filled with disbelief that they had figured it out. "H-how you'd… Fusion doesn't allow you to read minds, does it?"

Stevonnie laughed at the idea. "I don't need to read your mind in order to guess that, Peridot," they said. "Every time you come to the temple, it's always to ask where Amethyst is. And then you ask her to assist you with some task and, if what Amethyst said is true, try to keep her long after the task is complete."

Peridot could feel her face begin to blush. "I see… So then Amethyst doesn't… appreciate my… behavior."

"No, it's not that," Stevonnie said. "It's just… have you tried asking Amethyst to fuse?"

"N-No! Of course not."

"Well, why not?" Stevonnie asked.

"Because… Amethyst is…" She was silent for moment, before starting again. "I've never really had friends before. On Homeworld, worker class Gems were always told to focus on their work, at all times. But now, I have friends. And Amethyst is…" she trailed off. Peridot didn't know the right words. She knew how she felt, just not how to tell Stevonnie.

Stevonnie, however, seemed to understand the trouble Peridot was having. "Okay, let's try something a little different," they said. "Why do you want to fuse with Amethyst?"

"Why…? Why wouldn't I?" Peridot asked raising and eyebrow.

"Okay," Stevonnie said. "What are the reasons?"

"Well… I find her personality most agreeable. Even when we're working she always manages to find a way to have fun." Peridot looked down at her feet as she continued. "I also find her… uh… physical form aesthetically pleasing…"

Peridot looked back over at Stevonnie and saw that they were wearing a very wide smile on their face. "That's great, Peridot!" Stevonnie exclaimed. "Have you told Amethyst any of this?"

"No! Of course not!" Peridot quickly responded. "If she knew then-" Peridot cut herself off quickly. She knew her fear was both ridiculous and unfounded, but still… It lingered. "If she knew, then maybe she wouldn't consider me worth fusing with…"

"That doesn't make any sense, Peridot," Stevonnie said. "How would telling her this make her not want to fuse?"

Peridot sunk as low as she could in her seat, wishing she was on a warp pad right now. "I…"

"Peridot. I can tell you right now, you don't need a fusion expert," Stevonnie said. "You just need to go find Amethyst and tell her what you just told me."

Peridot's gaze wavered on top of the fusion. "J-just go to the temple and… tell her?"

Stevonnie nodded. "Definitely."

Peridot said nothing, instead, she began to think about her next step. Step three had been divided into two parts. One was to talk to Stevonnie about fusion and the other was to then talk to Amethyst and see if she would be willing to fuse. Stevonnie had made fusion seem… quite desirable and more than that, also seemed to strike down some of the beliefs that Peridot had about fusion being difficult to do. And they also seemed very sure about the advice that they have given Peridot. Maybe it really was that simple… After all, Amethyst never seemed to have a problem saying what she was thinking. Perhaps this could work…

"Okay. I… I will attempt to talk to Amethyst about my… thoughts on her," Peridot said, just a little shakily.

Just as Peridot had finished speaking, the pair heard the telltale sound of a warp pad activating. And just a second later, its activator walked through the archway at the top of the stands, an annoyed look strained across her face.

"I swear, one of these days, Amethyst is going to fall out of the warp stream and we're not going to be able to get her."

"Heya, Pearl!" Stevonnie greeted, as she walked down the ramp towards Stevonnie and Peridot.

"Ah, hello, Stevonnie," Pearl returned, with just the slightest bit of hesitance. "And hello, Peridot."

"Pearl," Peridot returned simply. Stevonnie was able to figure out pretty easily what Peridot's true goal was in being here. Did that mean that Pearl knew as well? That was a truly unnerving thought. If she knew, that meant that Amethyst probably already knew. And that was enough to make Peridot start to break out in a nervous sweat.

"Uh… Is she okay?" Pearl asked.

"Oh! Er, yes. She is," Stevonnie said, not even convincing Peridot with her answer. "She was just… asking about how she could use her new ferrokinesis in battle."

"Hmm… I hadn't really considered that…" Pearl began to tap her lower lip in thought. "There could be tactical advantages with that…" She turned towards the still profusely nervous Gem. "I'll run the idea by Garnet and see what we get." She shrugged lightly. "Who knows? There might be something to that idea."

Peridot quickly stole a glance at Stevonnie, who flashed a wide smile and a strange finger gesture at her. Peridot did her best to imitate it, by holding up the two closest fingers to her thumb.

"But for now," Pearl said, causing both Stevonnie and Peridot to quickly drop their gesturing, "We have some practice to get to. Hopefully, we can get it all in before it gets too late. Go ahead and diffuse so we can begin warm ups… though, why are you fused?"

"Ah, well there's a story behind that…" Stevonnie began, clearly trying to make up the story as they spoke.

Peridot, however, took the opportunity to make her exit. She scampered up the ramp and through the archway, all before anyone noticed she was gone. But once she got to the warp pad, she just sat on it for a few minutes. She knew what her next step was. But despite having a seemingly sound plan, she still felt nervous. But it wasn't like the unease Lapis filled her with or the vague sense of intimidation that Garnet could cause. No, this was a nervousness that was completely unique to Amethyst. Peridot wanted Amethyst to like her. No, not just like her. She wanted Amethyst to… really like her.

Peridot grimaced. Once again, her words failed her.

This was probably a bad idea… But then again, Peridot's life had been a string of bad ideas lately. What was one more?

Without a sound, she stood up and activated the warp pad, letting it take her towards her final step.

* * *

 **A/N:** **Another one down. Tune in next time for Peridot, Amethyst, and Atlantisite.**

 **Thanks for the read and, as always, critical feedback it welcomed.**


	3. Taking the Final Steps to Start Fusion

By the time Peridot had warped back into the temple, she had already begun to rethink her plan.

After all, the previous steps had not turned out like she had planned they would. So surely that meant that the entire structure of the plan was faulty, right? And choosing to proceed with a flawed plan would surely result in flawed results.

Yes, yes. Of course, Peridot thought to herself. I just need to return to the barn and create a new plan. One with longer, more in-depth steps, so as to make sure there are no flaws in the process. Yes, that's what I-

"Hey, Peri. Wassup?"

The cool, laid-back voice caused Peridot to physically jump in the air as she heard it. She gulped, trying her best to look (and feel) calm, but knew that she was failing. Peridot slowly turned around towards the temple's door, coming face-to-face with the person that was speaking to her.

"Geez, Peridot. You don't look so hot," Amethyst said, giving the green gem a lopsided look. "You alright?"

Peridot could feel the corners of her mouth twitch as she attempted to respond. However, it seemed her mouth was refusing to open.

Amethyst meanwhile, just thought that Peridot's whole display was humorous. She laughed as she spoke, "What's wrong, dude? Lion got your tongue?"

Peridot muttered some sounds.

"Uh, what's that? Couldn't quite make that out," Amethyst said as she joined Peridot on the warp pad.

"I-… I don't… b-believe that… the…."

Amethyst gave a quizzical look. "One more time, Peri," she said.

Peridot could feel sweat beginning to fall down the side of her face. Peridot could feel the unease she had been feeling as she warped in begin to overtake her.

"I believe," Peridot began, speaking slowly and deliberately. "that the correct human saying is 'cat got your tongue'."

Despite the truly legendary amount of effort it took Peridot to say that simple phrase, Amethyst seemed fairly unphased by it.

"Oh, is that it? Meh." She shrugged nonchalantly. "To be honest, a lot of animals on Earth look alike to me."

She then began to slowly circle around Peridot who, in turn, tried to stare straight ahead in an attempt to calm her nerves.

It did not work.

"So, Peri," Amethyst said once she was behind Peridot. "Why don't we get off the warp pad so that, if someone teleports in, they don't land on top of us?" Without waiting for a response, Amethyst grabbed Peridot by her wrist and led her off the warp pad and into the beach house's kitchen. "There. Better?"

Peridot numbly nodded.

Amethyst crossed her arms over her chest. "Man, Peridot. Whatever you wanted to talk to me about must be important," she smirked.

Peridot's eyes shot open as a bolt of panic raced its way through Peridot's form.

"T-ta-talk a-about…?" Peridot stuttered. The green Gem began to silently hope that all this stress would be too much for her projection and she would 'poof' herself, as Steven was fond of saying. Anything to avoid having this conversation.

"Yeah. I got a call from Steven." She pointed over to a communication device, somewhat similar to the one Steven carried with him.

"I-I was not aware that the temple had a-… device l-like that," Peridot was stumbling over her words, trying to delay the inevitable.

"Doesn't," Amethyst replied simply. "That's Connie's phone. She leaves it here whenever she goes to train with Pearl." She gave her head a quick shake before continuing, "But anyway, yeah. Steven called as I was looking for something to snack on and he said that you were coming over and that you wanted to talk to me about something."

"About… something? He didn't say what?" Peridot asked, the dim light of hope appearing before her.

"Nah," Amethyst responded. "I heard Pearl cut him off before he had the chance… Hehe, do ya think Pearl took Steven's phone away until after training was over? That sounds like something she'd do, right?"

"Yes, that does fit within the past behavioral patterns Pearl has shown in the past."

Amethyst guffawed at Peridot's answer. "Oh man, dude. I need to get you to follow me around and repeat everything I say like that. Make me sound all smart and stuff."

"I believe you already sound… intelligent enough as is, Amethyst," Peridot replied.

"Aww, thanks, Dot," Amethyst said as she placed a hand on Peridot's shoulder. "I didn't know you cared."

Her hand felt… odd in a way, but not unwelcomed. The placement was firm but was also…

Peridot scowled internally. Her lack of knowledge in Earthly vocabulary was beginning to get irritating.

"So, for reals, Peridot," Amethyst said as she removed her hand from Peridot's shoulder. "What'ja want to talk about?" Amethyst walked past Peridot and into the kitchen. She then began to look through the various containing areas as well as the "fridge", Peridot believed that it was called.

"Ahh, yes," Peridot began, her mind racing to try and formulate an answer that wasn't the truth. "I was hoping to get your… assistance with a… experiment."

"Ooh," Amethyst cooed as she shut the fridge door. "I love your experiments. There's always a chance for things to blow up."

Peridot's thoughts wandered back towards the last experiment she had Amethyst assist her with. It had taken all of the following day to get all the soot out of her hair.

"Well, I believe this experiment will be a bit more… tame." Peridot said. "I just need some assistance in… testing my ferrokinesis."

Amethyst raised a questioning eyebrow. "Ferro- what?"

"My… control over magnetism?"

"Ohh…' Amethyst's eye's widened with realization. "Right, your Doctor M, thing." Peridot gave Amethyst a questioning look. She shrugged, "I go through Steven's stuff a lot. What can I say? Things get boring at night."

"Right," Peridot responded slowly. "Well, yes my 'M thing'. I'm currently formulating a methodology that will allow me to be of more use to the Crystal Gems during more… intense moments."

"You mean like fighting and junk?" Amethyst asked.

Peridot nodded.

"So you kinda want to do like Lapis? Expect, instead of flinging water around, you want to fling metal and stuff?"

"Basically, yes."

Amethyst smirked at Peridot. "Sounds pretty rad, Peri. What do ya need from me?"

"W-well… I need your help in…"

Ah, yes! That's it!

"I need your help in finding a large amount of metal objects for me to test my powers on," Peridot smoothly explained. "I have… exhausted all the options at the barn."

"Yeah, paint cans would probably get boring after a while," Amethyst said. "Here, I got what ya need," Amethyst said as she beckoned Peridot to follow her over towards the door leading into the temple. Amethyst stood in front of it, moving aside her projected appearance modifier.

No, shirt. It's a shirt, Peridot thought to herself.

The light shining from Amethyst's gem caused the door to split and then recede into the wall, opening up the passageway.

"Step into my office," Amethyst said, holding her arm out to let Peridot pass by.

Peridot did so, though as she passed by, Amethyst wrapped her arm around her shoulder and followed her in.

"This is gonna be fun, Peri. Trust me." Amethyst said as Peridot tried her best not to shake too noticeably.

* * *

The… aesthetics of Amethyst's room never failed to get under Peridot's gem. The actual room, or cavern more like, is fairly pleasing. There are numerous mineral growths through the walls and wherever you went, one could hear the gentle sound of a waterfall spilling into a pool. That was probably Peridot's favorite thing about the room. Ever since experiencing her first rainstorm with Steven, Peridot found that the sound of falling water was very soothing.

What drove Peridot to distraction, however, was what Amethyst had added to the room, namely many, many piles of junk, in the truest sense of the word. Back on Homeworld, Peridot had taken great pride in keeping her workspace clean, tidy, and spotless. Seeing Amethyst's room and all its vast piles of unorganized items merely made Peridot feel like she was about to be reprimanded by an overseer. However, Peridot kept these thoughts to herself. She had raised such complaints in the past, but all they had done was upset Amethyst. Judging by what she had said, the tidiness of Amethyst room seemed to be a reoccurring sore spot between her and Pearl. Not surprising. Before robonoids entered mass production, pearls and howlites were the main cleaning force on Homeworld.

"So how much can you lift, Peri?" Amethyst asked as she began inspecting one of the piles.

"I'm not sure what the exact limit on my powers are," Peridot responded. "The largest thing I have lifted thus far are some paint cans at the barn."

"Right…" Amethyst said neutrally. Peridot began to worry slightly. Was Amethyst impressed, but still trying to maintain her "cool" attitude. Or was she disappointed in Peridot's abilities?

"Uh, may I ask what you are doing, Amethyst?" Peridot asked.

"Trying to find the perfect thing for you to lift," Amethyst replied. She tapped the corner of her mouth as she looked the pile up and down. Finally, she shrugged and turned towards Peridot. "Meh, precision is really more of Pearl's thing." She stepped aside, allowing Peridot to have a full view of the rather large pile before her. "Alright, dude. Start lifting."

"L-lifting?" Peridot asked uncertainly. "Lifting what, exactly?"

"Uh, this," Amethyst said has she smacked the side of the pile with her hand. The pile wobbled slightly at the impact. "Most of the stuff in this pile is metal."

"But that is a huge pile!" Peridot exclaimed. "I've never lifted something that big!"

"Well, yeah. That's kinda the point," Amethyst said. "Besides, Lapis can do all kinds of stuff with like, a ton of water. You'll be fine."

"Yes, but lazulis receive extensive training with their powers before they're handed over to their commissioner," Peridot retorted. "I've… barely used mine at all…"

"That's the whole point of this, Dot," Amethyst said. "Look…" She walked over to Peridots side, once again wrapping an arm around Peridot's shoulders and bringing her in close. This did not improve Peridot's confidence. "The only way you'll ever be able to get better is by stepping out of your comfort zone."

"My… comfort zone…" Peridot repeated slowly. "Do you… really think so?"

"Yeah, dude. Totally."

"I see…" Peridot was silent for a moment before nodded solemnly. "Alright. I… will try."

"Yeah! That's my Peridot!" Amethyst slapped Peridot on the back before taking a few steps to the side. "Ya got this, Peri. Trust me."

I do trust you, Amethyst. It's myself who I have doubts in…

Peridot leveled her gaze at the pile. She slowly raised her hand and began focusing her gem's energy. Her gem tingled as she began to release her power.

For several minutes, nothing happened. Peridot kept her opened palm pointed at the pile of junk, but it didn't move. At all. Peridot began to feel a rising tide of anxiety welling up within her.

I knew this was a foolish idea. There was no way I could lift this. And now, Amethyst must think me a failure…

"Calm down, Peri," Amethyst said cooly. "Just relax. Ya got this."

Peridot let go of the breath she didn't know she had been holding.

I just need to focus. Focus my gem's energy through my projection and out my hand. I… I can do this.

Amethyst is watching…

Peridot closed her eyes. She visualized the pile of junk rising, slowly but surely, off of the ground. She imagined the triumphant look she would wear on her face as well as the amazed look Amethyst would have.

"Holy crud, Peri! This is incredible!"

Yes, yes, it's pretty amazing. And I haven't even used my powers that much, she thought happily.

"Peridot, open your eyes! You're missing it!"

Peridot shot her eyes open, though, for a moment, she wondered if she had. In front of her was the heap of stuff, only it wasn't where Peridot had left it. The pile floated at least four feet above the dirt ground. And above Amethyst as well, who stood underneath it looking upwards.

"Geez, dude. I knew you could do it," Amethyst said.

"I er… And I haven't even used my powers that much…"

"No, you haven't! You're a natural!" Amethyst said, a wide smile still spread across her face. She then pointed to another nearby pile. "Try stacking this pile on that one."

"Are you sure?" Peridot asked. "Won't that disrupt your organizational system?"

"Oh, yeah I guess it will." Amethyst thought for a moment before shrugging her shoulders. "Eh, whatevs. Just stack 'em."

Peridot focused her energy, raising the pile higher in the air as she moved it over towards the second pile. Once positioned, she slowly lowered the pile on the other, before finally releasing it. Once her grip was off of it, some bits and bobs fell from the now combined heaps, but otherwise it seemed stable.

"Man, Peri. That was really cool," Amethyst said as she walked over to the newly created heap of junk. "I wish I was a peridot."

"Y-you do?" Peridot was surprised to hear such a phrase.

"Heck yeah, man," Amethyst responded as Peridot joined her next to the pile. "Your magnet powers are super sweet."

"But you're a quartz!" Peridot retorted. "You're one the best of the best! An elite Gem!"

"Phhf. Yeah, that's what I would be on Homeworld," Amethyst responded.

Peridot pursed her lips at her unexpected annoyance at Amethyst's cavalier attitude. "It doesn't matter what they think! You're still an elite!"

"Yeah?" Amethyst raised an eyebrow. "Says who?"

"Says me!"

Amethyst said nothing, only looking at Peridot with a flabbergasted look.

Finally, after several silent minutes, she slowly spoke, "You… you think I'm an… elite?"

"Of course," Peridot responded, a sudden wave of resolve coming over her. "Who wouldn't? You're always fun to be around, you look on the bright side of just about any situation, you…" She felt her face begin to blush. "You have the most visually pleasing form of all the Gems on Earth…" Peridot looked down at her feet. She had come this far. She might as well go all the way.

"You're… my friend, Amethyst. I…" Peridot paused. What was the word she was looking for? What was that word she had heard Steven use all the time?

However, before Peridot could think of the right word, she felt a pair of arms wrap around her, for the second time that day.

"Gee, Peri. That's…" Amethyst's voice was wavering as she spoke. "I… I love ya, dude. You're so cool."

Love. That was it. That was the word.

Peridot… loved Amethyst.

She returned the embrace, wrapping her arms Amethyst's waist and holding as tightly as she could.

Peridot could feel her eyes dampen as tears began to run down her face.

She loved Amethyst.

And Amethyst loved her.

Whatever that really meant…

Peridot could begin to feel a tingle behind her gem.

A light seemed to start glowing behind her closed eyes.

But that didn't matter, as long as Amethyst didn't let go.

She didn't.

* * *

The light from the warp pad receded, revealing the empty house to the three of them.

"Well, I must say," Pearl began as she lightly stepped off the pad. "Despite getting a late start, we still managed to get a lot done."

Connie nodded as she and Steven stepped off the pad as well. "Yeah, I agree. Though…" She adjusted the large sword and scabbard that hung on her back. "It's harder to maneuver with this on then I thought it would be."

Pearl smiled easily. "I'm sure. But you needn't worry. You'll get used to after enough practice."

Steven nodded his agreeance. "Yeah, Connie. You can do it."

Connie smiled broadly at the encouragement. "Thanks, Steven. You and Pearl always-"

Connie was cut off, however, by the sound of the temple door opening and an unfamiliar voice calling out to them.

"Steven! Connie! Pearl!"

The figure that ran up to them was a Gem but who, Steven didn't know at first. The first thing he noted was the two pairs of short, but thick arms. As the Gem ran over to them, one pair was slowly running their fingers through their long hair, while one of the hands on the other pair was slowly drumming their fingers on top of the gem on their chest.

Wait! Two gems! One on their forehead and the other on their chest… Then they're a fusion between-

"Amethyst! Peridot!" Steven cried out.

Connie gasped in surprise. "Oh. My. Gosh. You're right. They fused!"

The fusion beamed widely as they nodded. "Yeah, they did! Or, I did. We did." She shook her head. "Whatever. Doesn't matter."

"Wait, wait. Slow down a second," Pearl said as she held up her hands. "You're… Peridot's and Amethyst's fusion?"

The fusion nodded. "Yep. That's me. I'm…" She paused, her expression clouding over as she began to think. "I'm… Atlantisite," she said finally.

"Atlantisite… Oh, what is Garnet going to say about this?" Pearl asked.

"Say about what?" came a low, calm voice behind them. Garnet was closing the front door behind her as she entered the room. "What's going on, you thre-" Garnet stopped suddenly as she saw Atlantisite. Garnet paused for a moment, her gaze resting on Atlantisite. The first time fusion simply fidgeted where she stood.

Garnet said nothing as she slowly made her way over to the group. Despite her eyes being covered, Steven could tell that her gaze wasn't straying from Atlantisite. Who, Steven noted, was extremely nervous. She held all four of her hands in front of her and kept her gaze pointed at the ground.

"Hello," Garnet said once she was in front of the uneasy fusion.

"H-Hi," Atlantisite responded quietly.

Garnet carefully bent down onto her knees. She then took off her glasses and placed them carefully on the floor, followed by laying a gentle hand on Atlantisite's cheek. Atlantisite seemed shocked by this gesture as she immediately looked up, only to see Garnet softly smiling at her, all three of her eyes overflowing with excitement.

"Have you picked a name yet?" she asked simply.

"Yes… I'm… I'm Atlantisite."

Garnet's smile grew as she spoke. "Well then, Atlantisite. It's truly a pleasure to meet you."

Atlantisite's face began to glow brightly. "It is…"

"What are you going to do now?" Garnet asked.

"I'm… I'm going to…" Suddenly her eyes shot open as an idea occurred to her. "I need to get back to the barn. I need to show Lapis!" She glanced behind towards the warp pad. "I hope she likes me…"

"Do you like yourself?" Garnet asked, putting her glasses back on and standing back up.

"Of course. I… This is the most amazing I've felt… ever," Atlantisite replied.

"Then you have nothing to worry about."

Atlantisite paused, her eyes slowly moving between everyone around her. A smile then began to spread across her face again.

"Yeah. You're right," she said, nodding her head as she did. "Lapis will love meeting me. I know it." She turned, quickly stepping onto the warp pad. She gave a two-handed wave as a column of light engulfed her and she was gone.

Everyone was silent for several minutes until Pearl turned towards Garnet and asked, "Did you know they were going to fuse?"

"Oh yes," she responded. "But I didn't need future vision for that." She placed either hand on the tops of Steven and Connie's head. "Just like these two didn't."

The Steven and Connie giggled together at the praise.

Pearl, meanwhile, merely sighed wearily. "So now Peridot and Amethyst are going to be fusing… This could be… interesting."

"I wouldn't worry too much, Pearl," Garnet reassured. "Atlantisite is still learning about herself. Especially since this is Peridot's first fusion."

"That's true, I suppose," Pearl pursed her lips as she thought. "When I get a chance, I need to see if Atlantisite is interested in going to the arena and gauging her abilities."

Garnet nodded. "Good idea. A Gem with the power of a quartz combined with ferrokinesis could make for a powerful combination. Just… give her a few fusions first. She needs to find herself before any of that happens."

"I know, Garnet, I know."

"I know you do, Pearl," Garnet replied heavily. "I'm sorry, I guess…" her face shifted just slightly over towards Steven and Connie

Pearl nodded. "I understand, Garnet."

Everyone was silent again for a while before Garnet spoke again. "Pearl, I actually came here because I need your assistance with something. I may have… found something in a cave just a little ways from town."

"Need some help exploring?" Pearl lightly smirked.

"Only if you can handle it," Garnet smirked back.

"Of course," she replied as both she and Garnet began to make their way to the door. "We'll be back shortly, Steven," she called as the door shut behind them.

"Wow, Steven," Connie said. "I'm surprised you didn't ask to go with them."

"Well, I wanted to," Steven admitted. "But I figured there's something a bit more important we can do."

"Really? What?" Connie asked.

Steven leaned in close to Connie and began to whisper into her ear. When he finished, he pulled back and saw that Connie was grinning from ear to ear.

"I like the way you think, Mr. Universe," Connie said.

"I've learned only from the best, Ms. Mashewaran," Steven replied.

The two lightly trotted over and stepped onto the warp pad. Steven reached out and grabbed Connie's hand as he closed his eyes-

-and Stevonnie opened their's.

"Time to meet someone new," Stevonnie said, still smiling broadly and teeming with excitement as the light from the warp pad engulfed them, whisking them away from the house and towards a brand new experience.

* * *

 **A/N:** **Another fic done. Always feels nice.**

 **Thanks for reading and, as always, critical feedback is welcomed!**


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